History

Origin and General Application

Terrigenesis is a process developed by a radical faction of the Kree race known as the Reapers,[1] during their experiments to create living weapons to serve as new soldiers in a prolonged war. By performing numerous genetic modifications to various intergalactic races, the Kree planned to expose individuals to the mist produced by Terrigen Crystals, sparking the Terrigenesis process, which would manifest diverse biological changes and powerful abilities that could be weaponized.[2] On Earth, the Kree were forced to abandon their experiments when Alveus and his army led a rebellion against the Kree.[1] However the Kree left behind their other test subjects, who would become the Inhumans, and several Terrigen Crystals that they had hidden away.[2]

Ritualized Ceremonies

On Earth

Centuries later, a small fringe society of Inhumans had gathered together in China's Hunan Province. Within this society, certain members were allowed to undergo Terrigenesis to obtain their hidden gifts when they reached a certain adolescent age, an age when their elders believed they had developed enough to endure the changes, but were still young enough to adapt to it. One Inhuman, Jiaying, who had received extended longevity through Terrigenesis, was charged with guiding the generations of newly emerging Inhumans through their changes and help them harness their new abilities. One of these new Inhumans was Gordon, who emerged from Terrigenesis with the power of teleportation, but lost his eyes, with a layer of flesh covering the area where his eye sockets once were. Gordon eventually grew to master his powers and took upon himself Jiaying's responsibility of guiding new Inhumans as she had once guided him.[3]

Within the settlement, named Afterlife in English, newly transformed Inhumans would be given a form of acupuncture involving small, shining needles that helped the body to adapt to the thousands of years of evolution which had taken place within moments. The "transitioner", the person who gave the acupuncture, would later train the person in how to use his power.[4]

On the Moon

"Esteemed members of the Royal Family, Genetic Council, friends and guests blessed are we to witness the Terrigenesis of Iridia and Bronaja, the sacred touchstone of our civilization that elevates us above all others, that allows the true nature of the individual to be revealed."

Fearing persecution from the Humans, a group of Inhumans decided to build a settlement on the Moon, which would later be known as the city of Attilan and only populated by Inhumans. When the people of Attilan would come of age, they underwent Terrigenesis during ceremonies held by the Genetic Council and attended by the Inhuman Royal Family. The candidates for Terrigenesis were put into Terrigenesis Chambers in which a Terrigen Crystal was shattered, releasing the Terrigen Mist. Once the Terrigenesis completed, the Inhumans came out of the Chambers and presented their powers to the audience. The Genetic Council also took samples of their tissues to conduct genetic tests, especially for determining the nature of powers who did not appear obvious at first sight.[5]

Skye's Transformation

Skye entered a chamber in the temple of the Kree City to stop Raina, but she arrived late, as the Diviner Raina was holding glowed and floated onto a pedestal. The entrances to the chamber started to close and the Diviner opened, revealing Terrigen Crystals. The crystals grew and released the Terrigen Mist, which caused Skye and Raina to form black, goo-like cocoons and to petrify. After a few seconds the cocoons crumbled, revealing Skye and Raina had unleashed their Inhuman potential.[6]Jemma Simmons did a chemical analysis of Raina's blood; she found that Raina's DNA was altered on a molecular level with the addition of macro-molecules. Leo Fitz analyzed readings from Skye's heart monitor and discovered that during her transformation, she had a heartbeat of 300 beats per minute, a number he called "inhuman".[3]

Meanwhile, Andrew Garner received the property of Jiaying for analysis; inside a ledger was a booby-trap that released Terrigen Mist, intended to kill any humans who attempted to read the books. Garner was caught by the mist and Terrigenesis occurred; although he initially showed no signs of physical change, once near another Inhuman Garner transformed into a large grey skinned monster who desired killing other Inhumans. Garner gained the alter ego nicknamed Lash.[9]

Jiaying kept a man known as James from undergoing Terrigenesis because her tests deemed him unworthy for powers;[10]Hive, on the other hand, needed to be able to possess his knowledge, so he exposed James to the Terrigen Crystals, changing him to Hellfire. The newly-transformed James was quickly possessed by Hive while he was learning control over his powers.[11]

New Experiments

Shortly after swaying James, who soon began calling himself Hellfire, Hive recruited Dr. Holden Radcliffe to create more Inhumans by recreating the Kree's experiments in Union City, Wyoming.[11] At first, Dr. Radcliffe attempted to use Hive's blood to recreate the experiments, but it failed to work on the HYDRA volunteers, liquefying them as they screamed in pain. Realizing the formula specifically needed Kree blood, Hive then attempted to capture the two Kree Reapers and use their blood for the experiments. Unfortunately, Hive consumed one and the other was destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Alphonso Mackenzie's Splinter Bomb.[1]

Despite the setback, Hive and Dr. Radcliffe continued the experiments, using enthralled S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson's blood; Johnson had previously been injected with a drug derived from Kree blood. Needing new test subjects, Hive and Hellfire then captured a group of Watchdogs for the experiment. This time, it was successful, but the Watchdogs were reduced to hideous-looking, barely sentient beings quickly dubbed Primitives.[12]

Senator Ellen Nadeer held in her house her Inhuman brother who had been undergoing Terrigenesis for months.[13] After a deal she made with S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Jeffrey Mace, Nadeer brought the Inhuman to a government lab and asked Mace for the help of his agent, Jemma Simmons to free the Inhuman from his shell. Simmons managed successfully to break the Inhuman from his shell, but was immediately taken away from there.[14]

After Senator Nadeer shot her brother to death, the Watchdogs dropped his body to the water. As it reached bottom, Vijay underwent another Terrigenesis in response to his death.[15]

Quake's Second Terrigenesis

Daisy Johnson, upon entering the Framework, found that she did not have her powers, as the counterpart she overrode had never undergone Terrigenesis; in fact, she was unaware she was Inhuman at all, and in fact worked for a HYDRA regime that oppressed Inhumans.[17] However, while she was imprisoned at the Triskelion, Melinda May, a HYDRA operative in the Framework, discovered that HYDRA was brainwashing children and witnessed the supposed terrorist Jeffrey Mace sacrifice himself to save the lives of his agents, and as a result decided to defect. Knowing it would be both prudent and right to rescue an Inhuman, May entered Johnson's cell carrying a Terrigen Crystal and asked if it was true that she was an Inhuman. Upon Johnson's confirmation, May dropped the Crystal and watched as the cocoon enveloped a smiling Johnson.[18]

In an alternate timeline, in the year 2091Earth had been destroyed and the human survivors lived in the Lighthouse. The KreeKasius used the human population to expose them to the Terrigen Mist and sell those who became Inhumans to merchants. One of the humans was a young boy named Flint, who became an Inhuman after the Vicar broke a Terrigen Crystal and Flint was exposed to the mist.[19]

Process

Upon contact with the Mist the subject begins to rapidly develop and be encased in a stone-like cocoon. During this developmental phase the subject's latent Inhuman genes are fully activated. After the development phase, the cocoon then shatters by itself although it can also be aided by the subjects new abilities as was with the case with Daisy Johnson and Tucker Shockley. Upon emerging, the subject may feel different with some immediately demonstrating their new abilities instinctively. Some Inhumans may also display new radical physical features to their anatomy such as a lack of eyes or may develop wholly different forms. Post-Terrigenesis comes a brief transitional period in which the newly transformed Inhuman acclimates to their new anatomy and their powers begin to reconcile. In rare cases such as with Lash, the true effects of Terrigenesis may only permanently manifest after a prolonged transition period.

Trivia

In the comics, the Inhumans going through the process of Terrigenesis form an actual, insect-like cocoon, and they can undergo Terrigenesis multiple times.

Vijay Nadeer is the first known Inhuman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to undergo Terrigenesis more than once. He also underwent his second Terrigenesis in absence of exposure to the Terrigen Mist.

Through Dr. Evan Declan's research on Inhuman genetics and a sample of Auran's regenerative DNA, Karnak was able to bind to a deceased Gorgon new genetic transformation factors allowing the later to be resurrected by a second Terrigenesis.

Apparently, the process of Terrigenesis causes discomfort to those who undergo it (Elena Rodriguez described it as "rock crawling up [her] body", and Daisy Johnson likened the after-effects to "a hangover made of bees", although the latter's experience maybe due to the nature of her powers).

Through the use of Terrigenesis Chambers the Inhumans of Attilan did not have to break forth of their own cocoons as the devices' mechanisms assisted by clearing away the cocoons before the mists subsided.

Most Inhumans are selected for Terrigenesis during adolescence as it is seen as an ideal age range to understand the transformation and yet still be able to adapt.

However, this does not seem to be an enforced norm in Afterlife as Lincoln Campbell underwent Terrigenesis as an adult and many adult latent Inhumans including JT James were still candidates for Terrigenesis.

On Attilan the age for Terrigenesis is set at fourteen for all citizens however, it also carries a sour connotation as families may be then separated according to Attilan's caste system.

In a distant possible future on the Lighthouse, the Kree Watch expose all children when they reach 18 to the mists in hopes that a fraction will be revealed as Inhumans. Those who undergo Terrigenesis are then put through intense training to become living weapons that the Kree Watch then auction off for profit.

In this instance the age of exposure to the mists is not decided for the sake of allowing potential Inhumans to adapt to their new biology to but more likely for the profit of the Kree Watch who use them as indentured workers to maintain the Lighthouse.